Anthony Bracamonte, a 42-year-old Hispanic man from Ogden, Utah, was known as a loving partner and father. His partner, Sophia Ramirez, later described him as her best friend and the love of her life, a man who taught her about love, family, and togetherness.
On February 15, 2023, a passing motorist discovered Bracamonte’s body in the sagebrush on the side of Interstate 80, about two miles from the Grantsville turnoff in Tooele County.
An investigation by the Utah State Bureau of Investigation revealed he had been shot multiple times. Twelve spent 9mm shell casings and two new t-shirts with store tags still attached were found near his body.
Investigators learned that Bracamonte was last seen on February 11 after an argument with his girlfriend. He left his home with his friend, 30-year-old Alejandro Manuel Moore. The t-shirts found at the scene were a key piece of evidence; surveillance footage showed Moore purchasing the shirts while with Bracamonte. Cell phone data also placed Moore’s phone in the area where Bracamonte’s body was found in the early morning hours of February 12. When police located Moore and told him of his friend’s death, he did not seem surprised and told agents, "it was my gun that killed him."
The investigation revealed that in the early morning of February 12, Bracamonte was in a car with Moore, Moore’s mother Johnnie Marie Estrada, and another man, David Tenis, reportedly on their way to Wendover. Accounts of what happened next conflicted. Estrada claimed Bracamonte had acted inappropriately toward her. Tenis told police that Bracamonte, who was heavily intoxicated, became belligerent and was physically assaulting him and Moore. The argument escalated, and Moore pulled the car over on the side of I-80.
According to Tenis, a physical fight broke out between him and Bracamonte on the roadside. During the confrontation, Moore allegedly pulled out a gun and shot Bracamonte multiple times. After Bracamonte fell to the ground, Moore reportedly stood over him and shot him several more times. Afterward, Moore and Tenis allegedly took the gun apart and threw the pieces, along with Bracamonte’s phone, out of the car window as they drove away.
Alejandro Manuel Moore was charged with first-degree murder. David Tenis and Johnnie Marie Estrada were both charged with obstructing justice for allegedly helping to destroy evidence and coordinate their stories to tell police.
On January 16, 2026, a jury in 3rd District Court found Alejandro Manuel Moore guilty of first-degree murder, felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, obstruction of justice, and possession of a deadly weapon with criminal intent. In March 2026, a judge sentenced Moore to consecutive prison terms. The sentence, which included 16 years to life for the murder conviction, totaled at least 23 years to life in prison.
